Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Sorry for the long absence, but I took advantage of the long weekend to make a short trip to see a dear friend in California. The best part is I missed all the rain here and enjoyed perfect sunny skies! While in California I got my toes painted, drank some Sangria, and laughed myself silly - well worth the trip! Now I need a week (or four) to recover! Do you think they'd miss me at work? Thankfully this is a short week. The trick is to take the laughter and the love from this last weekend and stretch it out. Every time I look at my "fancy feet" I'll remember my visit and feel good inside. I'll be reminded to nurture the parts of myself that are uniquely me; the quirky parts, the talented parts and even the flawed parts. Because it's the flawed parts that make room for another person to come in and make you better than you are on your own.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

This morning I dusted off the boxed set of Baroque music CD’s that my musical sister gave me many years ago. I needed to be refreshed – to get out of the repeating soundtrack of my life. Actually, last night I was thinking about making a list of my favorite songs of all time, and the earliest ones that came to mind were from the 1980’s. Then I thought, why not go earlier? Surely some songs from the 60’s deserve to make the list! But then I thought, why not go even earlier? What about Classical music? And so here I am, reconnecting with Classical music.

I’ve always loved the layering of melody and tempo in Baroque music especially. Who doesn’t know the Pachelbel Canon or Handel’s Water Music or Vivaldi’s Four Seasons? The Pachelbel Canon carries the listener along like a leaf in a mountain stream that trips and plays along, until it finally reaches a pristine mountain lake. If Pachelbel is water, then Vivaldi is air – just as playful, but soaring through the treetops instead of dancing on the water. Handel, I think, is more like a row of large trees – impressive but orderly and purposeful. Sadly, my favorite Baroque piece is not included these CDs – Bach’s Sleepers Awake. It’s a simple “song” that I fell in love with when we sang the choral version in high school.

Isn’t that great? I actually do feel smarter, more peaceful and even more motivated when I listen to Classical music. The pieces are complex and beautiful and written with passion and genius. Not to mention the talent it takes to perform them. If these notes can enter my brain and leave behind just a bit of that, then I’m the better for it.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Last weekend I made this cute little bracelet designed for a girl’s small wrist. The pale pink glass beads and heart-shaped toggle clasp make it a sweet accessory. I like that the pink is delicate and not overpowering. It’s not listed in my Etsy store yet, but hopefully I’ll get it uploaded soon.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Have you ever had a day that left you feeling like a failure at your job? Today was not so great. I made a mistake. Actually, I made the mistake last year but I just caught it yesterday. I compounded that mistake by not fessing up to my boss right away (Note to self: Bring potentially bad situations to your boss’s attention before he gets a call from the client).

My reward was a visit to the principal, er, I mean the boss’s office to explain what happened. For the rest of the afternoon I felt like a big fat failure whose lousy at her job. I’m sure I can shake it off by tomorrow. And I did learn some important lessons. Now I have to step it up and bring my “A” game. Man, I hate phrases like that!

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Finally, I’ve added true international shipping to my Etsy store! I’ve been intimidated by international shipping (beyond Canada) for too long, so I’ve finally taken the plunge. Why put up road blocks to increased sales? Jewelry is light and easy to ship at reasonable prices. And now that I’ve done a couple, the customs forms aren’t so scary. I do hope the international buyers will find me. Etsy doesn’t make it easy to highlight the fact that you offer International shipping. I want to welcome all my readers from overseas and thank you for sticking with me!

Friday, May 1, 2009

Here’s a pendant I made last weekend. This gorgeous oval Landscape Stone pendant is wrapped in copper wire and hung on a rust colored suede cord. Landscape stone displays natural earth-tone patterns reminiscent of a painted desert landscape. I really love the natural pattern and colors!

This necklace is 25 inches long and finished with a toggle clasp. The pendant measures 1.75 inches long by 1.15 inches wide (41mm x 30mm). I hope you like it!

About Me

I live in the foothills of the Rockies in beautiful Colorado. My passions include photograhy, making jewelry and writing. I've now found a place to combine all three online. I hope you'll visit my blog and my Etsy store often to see what's new!
bmails@comcast.net

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